


Touch of Power

by Dark_And_Delightful



Category: Original Work
Genre: Angels, Gore, Grim Reapers, Irish, No Romance, OC, Original Characters - Freeform, Original Works - Freeform, Other, Rebels, Short Story, War, blood tw, meaningless wars, original creation - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-24
Updated: 2019-04-24
Packaged: 2020-01-31 10:28:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,146
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18589411
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dark_And_Delightful/pseuds/Dark_And_Delightful
Summary: Death was a cruel master.





	Touch of Power

Death was a cruel master.

 

Kaleo knew all too well, with scars littering her skin from all the times that it tried to take her. She felt like they were coming to life, making her bleed again, as though the alcohol in her veins were waking them up again.  

She fingered the whiskey glass, before drinking the last. It burned her throat and woke her up from whatever delirium she was having.

“Another,” she called, waving a hand and a coin. Her thick Buanaí accent had no place in the Gealach tavern, and some turned in confusion and distaste.

They had lost the Deireadh War. There was nothing more to be said.

The Buanaí were the servants of Bás, Death, and longtime enemies of the Gealach peoples. The Buanaí were considered to be brutal, taking the souls of any Gealach that died, and the Gealach were considered stingy and sensitive. They bore with each other for thousands of years; after all, the average lifespan of both races was 800 years.

All it took was a Buanaí to spit an insult at a Gealach politician.  

The war was quick, to most standards. It lasted about 3 years before both races called a stop. They had killed themselves out, leaving themselves as an _endangered species_. Imagine, two of the only sentient races in the world, wiping each other out to the point that one last battle would put them all to rest.

But everyone was still holding their breath.

Technically, the Gealach won. But to the Buanaí, they were cowards that saw them dying as weakness. The Buanaí were more than willing to go down, if it was in a blaze of glory with the Gealach being dragged under. But the Gealach weren’t fighting, and what was the fun in that?

Kaleo grit her jaw. She, at least, was willing to burn for the Buanaí and for Bás. She knew that her best friend, her dead squadmates, and two trillion Buanaí were willing to burn, and they did.

They really did.

 

* * *

 

_The Dóigh Mountains were closed in on each other, creating a forested valley in the middle that was both dangerous and important._

_And this demanded some attention from the Buanaí._

_Kaleo started at the forest line from her squad’s camp, a black battle axe clutched in her hands. It was dark. This was good._

_That was one of the ways that the Buanaí were distinguished from the Gealach. The Buanaí always wore black trench coats and had dark hair and eyes. Their skin was never on the pale side; at lightest, it was tan. And wherever they went, there was darkness in front of them and darkness behind them._

_The Gealach, on the other hand, were pastier than snow, and always had lanterns and white all around them. You could see them coming miles away, because they would have a light cloud surrounding them. But it wasn’t like the Buanaí were much better off. It was only at night, could they be sneaky under the cover of a darkness thicker than lard._

_“Kaleo,” a voice behind her said. “There’s some mild movement to the south. They’re functioning under the moonlight.”_

_Kaleo looked up and spat at the moon before turning, seeing her squadmate, Nyx. She was tall, with a soft and kind face that did not belong in a war. She was too sweet, often looking out for other members and trying to avoid murder as much as possible._

_“Understood. Bring the others to my position, after packing up.”_

_Nyx raised a confused eyebrow, before nodding and disappearing into the thick trees._

_Kaleo turned back to the trees, knowing that Gealach soldiers tried to stay under the moonlight as much as possible. Their patron was Gealach Mhuire, after all._

_The Lady of The Moon._

 

_Kaleo began walking back to the camp, ducking low branches and watching three other Buanaí rush to pack everything up. Truthfully, there wasn’t a whole lot, but enough that it could lead to some time being wasted._

_She heard them before she saw them._

_There was a clattering noise to her left, and Kaleo turned with a furrowed brow._

_“Buanaí, at atten-!” Kaleo’s call was cut short when a pearly arrow went right into the middle of her chest. She could feel that it had narrowly missed her lungs, heart, and major veins, but it was still an arrow in her chest. The battle axe fell from her fingers, as all blood flow went to the gaping wound next to her heart. Another arrow came down, hitting her in the kidney. Kaleo let out a yelp at the second shot,abruptly aware of what had happened._

_They were under attack._

_“Kaleo!” Another squad member, Azazel, rushed forward, only for a brilliant streak of light to come out of the woods and slit her throat. Kaleo felt delirious; there was no way that the Gaelach had snuck up on them in woods that were darker than the shadows the Buanaí carried with them._

_Kaleo began to feel the blood seep out, despite the arrow still there. She was wondering why she was still standing. She could hear her dying heartbeat._

_Nyx let out a scream of pure terror, and darted like a doe. The last Buanaí standing was Dante, and he pulled out a greatsword._

_“Neamh Críost,” he swore. “Come at me, you cowards!”_

_“Tá leathcheann ort.” She spat out miserably at Dante, her knees finally buckling. “Go! Warn the others!”_

_“No!” Dante began swinging at the Gealach, doing his very best. Kaleo pitied him, for what he was doing would only postpone the inevitable._

_Everyone’s death._

_Gealach fell, slowly, and Kaleo wondered for a moment if she was wrong._

 

_Then Dante took an arrow to the throat._

 

_He collapsed, sputtering last curses and grasping at the head. Kaleo watched him fall from her knees, not having the energy to cry._

_Two more Gealach came out, charging at Kaleo. She gripped her axe, standing up and shaking. One was beheaded, and the other was viscerally stabbed. No others came out, and Kaleo dropped her axe. She stumbled to a tree, falling with little grace as the adrenaline began to fade._

_Out of the corner of her eye, Kaleo saw light._

_“Come on and just kill me! Or are you scared?” She glanced at her axe, and turning towards the light. It shifted a little, before walking out of the woods. They were tall, wearing a helmet. An arrow was drawn, pointed at her. They approached until the arrow was lightly tapping her forehead. Kaleo smirked._

_“Scared of a dead woman, huh?” She sneered, wrinkling her nose. “Of course you’d not take any chances. Go on. Finish the job.”_

_The Gealach wavered for a moment, almost dropping the arrow, before steeling up their resolve._

_But a flash of black hurtled at them, toppeling them over. Kaleo’s eyes seemed to pop out of her head, watching Nyx materialise with a broadblade.  She was on top of the soldier, blade pressed against their neck._

_“Nyx!” Kaleo cried. “Do it!”_

_Nyx had tears in her eyes, bubbling and landing on the soldier’s visor. There were short hiccups from her, and she raised her sword up._

 

_She was too slow._

 

_The soldier took an arrow from their quiver and thrust it into Nyx’s heart, pushing it in further when she let out a cry of pain. Kaleo watched in horror was Nyx fell to the ground, twitching for a moment before going painfully still. The soldier stood up, retrieving the arrow before turning to Kaleo. They picked up Kaleo’s axe, preparing to hit Kaleo on the head with it._

_“You’ll be the messenger,” they muttered._

 

_Then all Kaleo saw was blissful darkness._

 

* * *

 

Kaleo blinked out of her reverie when someone pulled a chair beside her. She felt tears stinging her eyes, and the last thing she wanted was to be crying in public. She chugged her fresh whiskey glass in one go, hoping that the burn would make her forget it.

“Long day, huh?” The person beside her said, before telling the bartender to get him the same Firebrand whiskey. Kaleo looked at him, popping her jaw.

It was a Gealach, about her age, with some obvious scars on him. He was freakishly pale, even for a Gealach, with gold streaks in his white hair and silver eyes.

Kaleo wasn’t sure what she was expecting. But it wasn’t an albino that probably tried to kill her kin 100 years ago.

She narrowed her eyes. “Yeah, sure.” She turned back to her drink, which had been refilled. The Gealach nodded, trying to make conversation. “Did you serve in the war? Well, I mean, you look old enough to have served...not that I’m saying you’re old. Sorry,” the Gealach began to mutter, panicked. Kaleo raised an eyebrow.

“Yeah, I did. Why?”

The Gealach bit his lip. “The only Buanaí that are alive are the veterans, or the kids. No offense meant.”

“None taken.” Kaleo took another sip. “From the looks of it, you did, too.”

The Gealach nodded. “Yeah! I was in the 165th Regiment! Were you with the rebels?”

Kaleo nearly spit out her drink. _Of course_ one of the few civil Gealach assumed she was with the rebels that revoked Bás and tried to kill their own race alongside the Gealach. The degenerates.

“No. No, I was most definitely not.” Kaleo began pulling out more coin to pay for the alcohol, wanting out of the dive bar. The Gealach paled.

“Oh. Oh, _oh._ I am so, so sorry. I didn’t want to... _oh._ You were on the other side…” He began to hastily leave his chair when Kaleo began to get up. “I am really, really, _really_ sorry. Uh, for, you know, everything.”

Kaleo stopped. “What?”

The Gealach stopped, relieved she wasn’t running. “Sorry.”

Kaleo raised an eyebrow. “No, I mean...you’re apologetic?”

“Yeah,” the Gealach nodded. “After all, we are kinda responsible for making the Buanaí, um…” he trailed off, looking nervous. “Ya’ know, almost extinct.”

Kaleo sat back on her seat. She tried to ignore the fact that some of the bar were listening in. The Gealach looked ecstatic.

“Sweet! Thanks! My name is Alain!”

Kaleo watched him sit down again and order tea. “Kaleo.”

“Well, Kaleo! I don’t suppose we could exchange war stories, or something?” Alain looked excited.

“Actally, if you don’t mind, I have a question.”

“Shoot.” Alain was bouncing in his seat.

“Your weapons and armour. Were they mass produced?” She looked up from swirling her whiskey.

“Not really.” Alain shook his head. “There wasn’t enough time for that. We kinda just...took what we had and left.”

Kaleo nodded, then reached into her boot and pulled out two white arrows. Alain flinched, and his eyes widened.

“Do you know who’s these are? I was shot with them, and they massacred my squad.”

Alain looked up, slowly, before shaking his head. “No. But, I, ah, could have some of my old friends see if they could track them.” He placed his hand on one. “Is it okay if I take it for now?”

Kaleo nodded. “Thanks.”

They both stowed away the arrows, and Alain turned to the clock.

“I have to go. Maybe we could meet here again?” Alain looked suddenly anxious, and Kaleo gave a small smile.

“Sure. Just be sure not to break that.”

Alain nodded, before taking his leave.

 

* * *

 

Alain collapsed onto his bed in his apartment, trying to calm himself down. There was no way she knew, otherwise he wouldn’t be panting in the middle of his room, staring at his ceiling. The only way she could recognise him was by voice, and she had barely heard him.

Alain sighed.

He held the arrow before him, sitting up and squinting at it. He then looked at the back of his closet, where a glowing white bow and quiver hung. Inside were beautiful, pearly arrows, almost calling to the one in his hand.

It was their sibling, after all.

 

* * *

 

_Alain walked the perimeter of the woods, in the middle of the Dóigh Mountains, his bow and arrow at the ready. The new armour that they received was able to dim the Lady’s Blessing, keeping them under cover for small amounts of time._

_Alain watched as a Buanaí came into view. She was alone, with a battle axe on her shoulder. She was watching the treeline, and the other Gealach stood as still as possible. Another Buanaí talked to her, before both walked through a small trail. Alain looked at the other Gealach and nodded._

_The unfortunate Buanaí had led them right to their camp, and Alain smiled. There were only four, and it was all easy kills._

_Who he presumed to be the squad captain had just arrived, and he drew back his arrow._

 

 

_And without hesitation, he fired._


End file.
